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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. spring — of water
  3. land — ground
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. mug — a face
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. land — a country
  9. land — to come down
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. object — to protest
  13. object — an aim
  14. lie — to recline
  15. club — for golf
  16. foot — a measure
  17. object — a thing
  18. club — a group
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. mug — to rob
  21. club — for dancing
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. mug — a cup
  24. spring — the season

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com